The St. Johns herald., 1887-02-24
Mr. Stevens, chairman of the

A>-sNN@~ |A'S ANAAO"AH5 AOPOAO'
 MT. President-Your committee on territorial affairs, to which was referred the report of the Wagon Road Commissioners of Apache county, beg leave to report that they have had the same under con- sideration and submit the follow ing:
 Act No. IF of the last session of the Legislature created this Board
 Under it, Pedro Montana, Frank 4. Hubbell and C. o. Howe were ap- pointed commissioners. There was appropriated the sum of $12,O GOO in Territorial bonds, the proceeds of which were to have been used in repairing certain roads in Apache county and in building bridges nec- essary ill the repairing of said roads. A majority of the Board, Commissioners Montana and Hub bell-Commissioner Howe protest ing-cOnstructed a bridge and made a new road thereto. Said bridge was constructed at an eX- pense of $4 300, which i'll our opin- ion was not only unauthorized by the law but was in direct violation thereof The bridge was made over a dam made by an irrigation com pany and the first freshet carried it off. There still remains an unex- pended balance in the hands of ! said commissioners, as shown by their report, of $2,252 8S, which can be saved to the Territory by repeating the law. We therefore recommend the passage of the ac- companying bill and also, that the Attorney General be directed to in- stitute suit against said Commits sioners and their bondsmen to re- cover for the Territory all moneys illegally expended.
 GEO. s. STEVENS, Chm'n. The above report will meet the appreciation of all good citizens of i Apache county, and will be worth fly accredited in the list of labors performed by the Fourteenth Leg islature. Had it been possible, however, for the committee to have been put in possession of all the facts which are destined to make the "WagOn Road Commission" known to fame, we feel confident that other suggestions and recon mendations would have been added. The report of the Commissioners shows a balance on hand of $2, 2,2S2 SS. The Navajo and Holbrook bridges were the only visible evil dences of the profligacy with which the Territorial money was scattered among compadres. Does the re- port mention the items of horse hire, mileage, etc, which were drawn against the wagon road fund? Does it mention the fact that the treasurer's checks were used with lavish prodigality in the settlement of the personal debts and necessi- ties of himself and his friends9 Does it mention the fact that the treasurer paid his taxes for the year 1886 with $200 check upon that fund2 Does it mention what roads and bridges were repaired, and what work was done upon the same? Does 1t mention how much was paid attorneys to secure this fund, and to advise them of meth ods to escape the consequences af- ter it's appropriation2 The Navajo bridge is said by the report to have cost $1, 300, and the Holbrook bridge $4, 300, and in this way the Commissioners account for $6,000 of the $11 500 which they received as purchase price of the bonds,t and there remains $500 yet to be accounted for. They claim to have some $2,200 on hand, but what ex- planation can they give for using the other $3,4O0. Did they send a certificate of deposit with the re- port to show that the $2,200 was in bank? Did they explain why these bonds given Apache county were sold for 95 cents, when other counties negotiated the same class of bonds at par? Did they explain why the bonds were disposed of at private sale?
 All the circumstances indicate that the Commissioners innocently misconstrued the statute under ,ubiob tbo, woro oroofad and aofad